MHS Scholastic Bowl places fourth in state

The Mathews High School Scholastic Bowl team capped its successful season on Saturday with a fourth-place finish in the state Group A tournament, held at the College of William and Mary.

Despite falling in their opening match to two-time defending state champion George Mason, the Devils rebounded with a strong performance against Region D runner-up Lebanon. With the season on the line, Mathews got off to a quick start and rolled to a 200-110 victory.

The win set up a third-round match against Region D champion Honaker, who had defeated the Devils in the opening round of last year’s state tournament. The teams appeared evenly matched throughout, trading leads until late in the final toss-up round.

The Devils were able to build a 30-point lead with three questions remaining, but Honaker would not go quietly. Honaker answered the next two questions correctly, but missed the final question after interrupting, giving the Devils a 15-point win.